The Doctor Donna
by featherkitten
Summary: The Doctor might have a way to save Donna Noble but he needs some help. Thankfully the TARDIS knows just who he needs.
1. Chapter 1

I realize that there is an argument to be made for why 10 couldn't do this but I feel like its an interesting what if.

* * *

It occurred to the Doctor that he did have a solution. It was a long stretch, he didn't even know if he could do it. He wasn't sure if he even had time to do it.

But maybe just maybe he could turn Donna into a Time lord. The Doctor cupped Donna's face and looked her into the eyes. "Donna, I need you to trust me."

"What are you going to do?"

"Its a long stretch. I don't know if this is going to work."

"Doctor, what are you going to do?" Donna asked impatiently.

"I'm going to make you a Time lord. Or try to at least. I don't know how much time I have to do this. I might be able to hold it back for a while."

"You bloody well better try space man."

It wasn't easy. He had put Donna in a temporary like state, held back the threatening explosion of her head. Hooked up the TARDIS to act like a life support for her but there was only so much the old girl could do. It would be nice to have Donna use her new Time lord mind to help him but he didn't dare risk it.

Make the pocket watch turn the human into a Time Lord instead of the other way around. Donna already had some Time Lord DNA, he was the Doctor and he had saved the universe with a kettle and a piece of string. The Oncoming Storm and he had gotten up from his tinkering and kicked the TARDIS in a fit of shook from side to side and started moving.

"No! Not now! I have to save Donna!" he shouted as he tried to cling to the console. The TARDIS didn't listen. After it stopped shaking the Doctor looked at the monitor. Why out of everywhere in time and space had she brought him to a prison? He didn't have much time to consider that question before there was a knock on his door. He opened the door and looked at a familiar curly haired individual.

"Hello sweetie."


	2. Chapter 2

I love Janto: thanks. She knows what's best even if the Doctor doesn't always realize it. That's okay, it hasn't been up for very long and I didn't see your comment until I was about to add another chapter.

grandprincessanastasiaromanov5: thanks.

jeliclesoul635: thanks for the alert.

I wasn't planning on putting River here in the beginning. It just happened.

* * *

"River?" What was she doing in prison? And why had the TARDIS brought him to her of all people?

"Well are you going to stand there gaping or invite me in?"

"Look I don't have time for this. I'm doing something really important and we'll have to catch up some other time."

He turned around was about to close the door when River said "Doctor." Something about her tone made him stop and turn to look at her. He wondered how far away the Library was for her.

"I know the TARDIS doesn't always take you where you want to go," River said. Well, that was an understatement. In this case it had taken him when he absolutely had not wanted to go anywhere. "But she takes you where you need to go," River continued before he could make some snide remark. "I don't believe that she would have brought you to me if she didn't know you needed me. I could help Doctor."

"What do you about gallifreyan technology?" the Doctor asked.

"You'd be surprised," River said smugly. She pushed past him and into the TARDIS. River looked around the TARDIS. Whatever the Doctor was working on, was lying near the console.

"You keep redecoracting," she said. She walked around the TARDIS will a familiarity that he didn't expect.

"You've been here before then," the Doctor said. "Tell me River can I trust you?"

"I think you already know the answer to that," she said. "Come on, you don't have all the time in the universe now do you? Tell me what are you working on?"

The Doctor gave in and explained everything to her, welll everything he had time to explain anyway. His friend Donna had absorbed a Time Lord mind and it was burning though her head so he decided that the best way to save her was to turn her into a time lord. Or Time Lady if you prefer. So the Doctor and River worked together on reprogramming the watch. It wasn't easy but they soon got their result, at least they hoped they had.

They went to Donna who the Doctor had kept in the medical bay of the TARDIS. She looked peaceful, they could almost forget that she was in danger of dying if she wasn't hooked up to life support and if they weren't holding the device which may save her life.

Delicately the Doctor opened up the watch in Donna's face. He watched the swirls of gold come into her mouth. She glowed brightly and for a moment the Doctor wondered if she was going to regenerate before she opened her eyes and looked up at them.

"Doctor? Professor Song?" Donna asked.

"How do you feel?" the Doctor asked.

"I have a hell of a headache space man," she replied.

"You're body is still adjusting," River said as she checked Donna's vitals. "But it looks like you'll pull though."

"No offense meant but why are you here?" Donna demanded. Meeting in the wrong order and this being a younger version of River or whatever Donna could understand but still what was she doing here?

"I needed help," the Doctor answered. "And I got it. You wouldn't be alive right now if it wasn't for Professor Song."

"Well you did some of the work," River countered.

"Let's get you home," the Doctor told Donna. "Unless you want to do a bit more traveling first. We could go to the Planet of the Hats." River gave an exasperated groan at that suggestion. Donna wondered if the Doctor had ever taken River there or was going to take River there maybe.

"We'll have to go there some other time," Donna said. "After everything I'd like to go home again." A Time Lady. She suddenly wondered if she had thought this though. How would she handle living that long or regenerating? It was still better than going back to what she used to be. It had to be.

"Maybe I can help pilot the TARDIS now," Donna said. "Make sure we get to the right place this time."

"I can teach you," River said.

"I can pilot my own TARDIS!" the Doctor exclaimed but they didn't seem to be listening as River continued with "You should know that he always leaves the brakes on."

* * *

Does the TARDIS have a medical bay? I don't know but its said to have a lot of rooms and if the TARDIS can create rooms there could have been one at some point.


	3. Chapter 3

dm1: fair point. I just can't remember if New Who ever mentioned a med bay and I haven't seen enough of Classic Who to know if it has one.

I'm not sure how this would change the timelines. For some reason I can imagine the 11th Doctor coming back for her and saying "sorry, I was busy. I met a little girl, accidentally made her wait 12 years, had to restart the universe, got married. It's a long story." But hopeful that wouldn't happen. This was just a what if idea and most likely I won't end up doing a rewrite of the series because rewrites are very difficult to do. I tried one rewrite of a different fandom and that was because I had a bunch of problems with all the seasons after season 1. Doctor Who isn't perfect but I don't know where I would begin.

Donna has a lot of thinking to do. The change will take some getting used to but maybe now she'll be able to find the guy she met in the Library. Yeah, the Doctor really does need his companions to ground him and he doesn't take losing them very well.

I didn't think of that. Maybe the TARDIS will teach Donna how to fly her like she did with River.

amichalap: thanks for the fave.

* * *

The Doctor had managed to fly the TARDIS to the right place. It was a relief to say the least. Although Donna still entertained thoughts of learning to fly the machine herself. Maybe she'd take River up on her offer of flying lessons one day.

Once home Donna explained as best she could to her family what had happened. The Doctor and River stayed for moral support, although they mostly had to answer Donna's mother's questions. It wasn't easy, especially not with the scientific ramblings that the Doctor had gone into which only the three Time Lords in the room had understood. Her mother had just called it mad ramblings. On that Donna couldn't blame her, it had been hard to keep to keep up with what the Doctor was saying before her... transformation she supposed. Donna wasn't sure what to call it really. It was strange, the beating of two hearts and a brain capacity that must be more than double of what she had before.

It was rather late when Donna said that she needed some rest. She wasn't sure how important sleep was to Time Lords but it had been a long day and aside from her body was still adjusting she could use some alone time.

"You get some sleep sweetie," Wilfred said. "We can discuss this more in the morning if we need to."

"Thanks grandpa." She turned to the Doctor and River. "Thank you to both of you really. I don't know how I'm going to handle being a different species but this means so much to me. I've done so much and I'd be worst off having forgotten all of it. And this isn't the last you've seen of him space man. Do you hear me?"

The Doctor did a salute. "Loud and clear ma'am," he said. "And don't worry Donna Noble you are going to be a brilliant Time Lord."

"Damn right I am. Do I ever meet you again River?"

River winked at her and said "spoilers."

"Right," the Doctor said. "I should get River back to prison. I hope to see you all again soon. Take care Wilf."

"Prison?" Donna's mother asked.

"Spoilers," River said again. After that the Doctor and River Song left. As the TARDIS disappeared Donna couldn't help but wonder if they were going to make it back to the prison. Wherever they were going, Donna hoped their next visit wasn't too far off. She was going to miss them, even though she hadn't known River Song for that long.

Once she was in her room, the first thing Donna did wasn't collapse on her bed like she had expected but look in her mirror. She had a full length mirror and as vain as it might be, she felt like looking herself over. She hadn't physically changed but she knew that she was likely to. What would her next regeneration be like she wondered. Would she be thin? Or short? Look younger? Older? Could she change skin color or gender? She couldn't imagine being a man but maybe it feel natural once it happened. The Doctor's biggest problem had been not being ginger. She wondered how he would feel about being a woman.

It was a bizarre train of thought for her and Donna decided to abandon it and go to bed. She prepared for bed and then feel into an uneasy sleep. She had odd dreams of regenerations and hats that but she couldn't properly recall the dreams in the morning.


	4. Chapter 4

I love Janto: yep. I don't even always remember the tech stuff. Yeah, me too. Ha ha, poor Doctor.

dm1: yeah, their relationship is so important to the Doctor. It must have been like losing another family when he locked up Donna's thoughts in the canon. I'm not sure what I would think in Sylvia's situation and the Doctor's comment about taking River back to prison certainly didn't help.

I always love it when she says that. Of course you're entitled to your opinion though. They might have to move around a bit, someone would notice Donna never aging eventually. I'm not sure what Donna is going to do now. I like the thought of her meeting Amy and them bonding over being feisty gingers. Neither can I come to think of it but then I don't have a next regeneration for her in mind. Thanks for the alert.

* * *

"Well we're here," the Doctor said as he looked at the console. The right place two times in a row that wasn't bad for the TARDIS.

"She'll be alright you know," River said.

"How do you know that?" the Doctor demanded. "I wanted to save her but now that's she's a Time Lord people might experiment on her, try to sell her or even mistake her for me. And she'll out live everyone she knows. Her friends and family." He looked down.

"Doctor," River said softly, "this was Donna's choice."

"She was dying."

"And she begged you not to let her forget instead of begging you to save her. Who she became what she did when she traveled with you, its important to her." River knew that despite everything she wouldn't change what had happened to her, not one line of it. It made her who she was and there were still so many amazing things that had happened to her. "And being a Time Lord will change a lot, she knows that. But Doctor she is going to be fantastic."

The Doctor gave her a small smile. "Yeah, she is." The Doctor pulled her into a hug. River didn't expect it but returned the hug all the same. Neither really wanted to let go but the Doctor did anyway. "Anyway," he said, "you should probably get back before the guards start looking for you."

"Oh, they don't bother anymore. They just sound the alarm for a while. Well sweetie, I'll be seeing you around."

"I certainly hope so." With that River Song exited the TARDIS and the Doctor was alone once again.

"Just you and me old girl," he said before dematerializing the TARDIS. Donna may not be ready to travel again but at least there was a chance he'd see her again. Maybe he'd run into River too. There were still adventures to be had before then. Maybe he'd visit the moon of Poosh. The Doctor smiled widely, there were still so many places to see and an awful lot of running to do.


	5. Chapter 5

Mari Wollsch: thanks. Also thanks for the fave and alert.

XSilval: thanks for the fave.

WhatExistsInFalling: thanks for the fave and alert.

authorlouise: thanks for the fave and alert.

Niki Shields: thanks for the fave.

12animecat: thanks for the fave and alert.

Darklight-phoenix: thanks for the fave and alert.

Anaika Skywalker: thanks for the alert.

Larissa Baptista: thanks for the alert.

ThatBigBlueBox: thanks for the alert.

DarkSun. Sama: thanks for the alert.

* * *

Donna could feel the Earth beneath her feet. She could feel it moving, it rotating around the sun. It made her feel unbalanced. Logically Donna knew that she could not fall off the Earth, that gravity was holding her down. She could even feel the gravity. But logic didn't stop the feeling that the Earth seemed to turn too fast sometimes. She didn't know how the Doctor could stand it but then she realized that he likely grew up being able to feel the turn of his own planet. Perhaps she would get used to it over time.

For now she opted to sit down and hope she didn't get dizzy. To take her mind off it she watched her grandfather bustle around the kitchen, looking for a frying pan. He had offered to make breakfast, just eggs and bacon. Her eyes didn't leave him for a moment as he gathered everything he needed.

But it wasn't until he turned to her and asked "Are you al-right, dear?" that she realized she had been staring. Donna blinked in surprise.

"Yeah. Its just... mom and you haven't told me what it was like on your end with the Earth being stolen." She hadn't planned to ask about it but explaining feeling the Earth move wasn't something she could really put into words, especially not to her mother, and it was the first thing that came to mind. Her mother sighed loudly and her grandfather sat down.

He looked at her mother. "We should tell her dear."

"Fine." Donna is surprised that her mother gave up so easily. They put off breakfast to tell her everything (Donna had called in sick at work. If getting turned into another species didn't warrant a day off Donna didn't want to know what did). Wilf had done most of the story telling before Donna interrupted him.

"13 Bannerman Road?" Donna asked. "Harriet Jones's knew Sarah Jane's address?" Wilf nodded and Donna suddenly stood up. She did her best not to bolt out of the room right then and there. "I have to go."

"Where?" Silvia demanded.

"To talk to Sarah Jane."

"You aren't going to have breakfast first?" Wilf asked.

_You can't exactly teleport there,_ Donna mentally chided herself. She still had to find out how to get there and where to stay once she was close. Really she could spare time for some bacon.

Donna shook her head and settled back down to her seat. "No, of course not. Most important meal of the day after all." She smiled. She hoped that Sarah Jane didn't mind a surprise visit.

* * *

It didn't even occur to me until I saw it pointed out on the internet that the meta-crisis clone would occasionally act like Donna. Rose and Jackie would have to adjust to that.

I feel like the flow of words didn't come out right in this.


	6. Chapter 6

I love Janto: thanks for the reviews.

SpiritAni: thanks for the fave and alert.

* * *

"Are you really just going to rush over to this woman's house?" Silvia demanded. "You don't even know her."

"We saved the world together, I think that's enough to make us acquaintances." Donna held up a phone book. "And if you haven't noticed I am trying to call her first." Donna sighed. She wasn't usually this snappish with her mother and she knew how crazy this all seemed. "Sorry, I'm just need to figure this all out. And I need to talk to someone about this." While Grandpa had traveled with the Doctor, it wasn't the same as being a full time companion.

Well really Donna didn't think anyone could fully understand, not even the Doctor. The chances of finding another human turned Time Lord felt very slim if not impossible. Getting to chat with some past companions sounded brilliant though. Her time with them felt much too short and she could only imagine how the Doctor must feel when they stopped traveling with him.

"I just think you're rushing into this."

"I can't just sit around and wait around for the Doctor to sort this out for me." Donna hadn't expected her mother to understand. But at least her mother had stopped arguing and left her alone.

Donna's hands shook as she punched Sarah Jane's number into her cell phone. It rang a few times and Donna let out a breath that she hadn't been aware she was holding when someone answered.

"Hello?"

"Sarah Jane? Its Donna Noble."

"I didn't expect to hear from you." There was a pause. "Is there something you need?"

"Sort of. I just wanted to talk to you, face to face. Its..." How did one say I'm a Time Lady? It didn't feel like something she could just blurt out over the phone. "Well its something I'd rather explain in person. It happened after you left and well I'm very different now."

"Alright. If you can come over to my place I have a computer that can run some tests." Well that wasn't exactly what Donna had been hoping for but getting scanned wouldn't hurt.

"I can. I know where it is since Harriet Jones called out your address."

"I'll see you there Donna." She hanged up and Donna went to get her car keys. She hoped that Sarah Jane would have some insight on this.

* * *

I think I'll just rewrite the part where River doesn't recognize Donna in the library. I would have earlier but this story wasn't planned out past saving Donna. I'll continue it as far as I can probably.

Looking back on it, I don't know why Harriet Jones said Sarah Jane's address. It just seems like an awfully big risk since the daleks could have picked up the transmission.


	7. Chapter 7

The Noble: thanks.

I love Janto: calling out 'Sarah Jane Smith the Doctor's past companion' or something would have made more sense. But it does give Donna a chance to find her.

* * *

Donna couldn't help but agree with her mother about this all being crazy. She didn't think anything could ever feel normal again but that was a small price to pay for what she had gained from her adventures with the Doctor.

_I'm a new new Donna, _she thought on the drive to Sarah Jane's. It was good that she had gotten Sarah Jane at a time when she wasn't busy. Or maybe she had put her plans on hold for Donna for which Donna was very grateful. Sarah Jane was waiting for her outside when she got there.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Donna said once she was outside of the car. "I don't have access to a time machine right now and it turns out that it takes a while to get here from Cheswick."

"Its fine," Sarah Jane said. "I think your news is well worth the wait. Do you want to come in?"

"Yes." Donna followed Sarah Jane inside and looked around the house as she entered. Sarah Jane led her to the living room.

"Can I get you anything? Tea? Biscuits?"

Donna was about to decline when she realized that telling that story would take a long time, especially if Sarah Jane stopped her to ask questions. And Sarah Jane was a reporter, asking questions was what she did. "I can help you get those." Donna was tempted to ask Sarah Jane for something stronger but she didn't because she had to drive home.

Soon they had the plates, tea cups, biscuits, and a pot of tea on a silver tray out on a small table in the living room. Sarah Jane had gotten her note book and pen out. Throughout the telling of the story, how fast Sarah Jane could jot things down impressed Donna who suspected that she might have been using a form of short hand but Donna didn't get a chance to peak at her notes. When Sarah Jane had questions Donna did her best to answer them but the entire experience wasn't something she could really put into words. Sometimes Donna would pause to eat biscuits.

"And you know the rest of the story from there," Donna finally said. "I called you and you invited me over. I have to go back now." Donna looked at her watch. "Its gotten so late." Despite the late hour Donna did not feel all that tired but her mother and grandfather would begin to worry.

"Just before you go could you come upstairs with me?" Sarah Jane asked. "I'd like to introduce you to my computer."

Donna agreed and followed Sarah Jane up to the attic. "I think someone stole your computer," Donna said. The attic was spacious and dusty with no sign of a computer anywhere. "Are you sure its up here?"

"Mr Smith I need you." Donna jumped back when the wall started parting. Music started playing and smoke gushed out. A computer was where the wall used to be.

"He really knows how to make an entrance," Donna whispered to Sarah Jane. "Over dramatic really."

"Mr Smith meet Donna Noble. Donna Noble meet Mr Smith." Donna waved to the computer. She felt put on the spot and reminded herself that she had dealt with intelligent machines before.

"Greeting Miss Noble. How may I be of assistance? I assume Sarah Jane didn't wake me just so you could insult me."

"We want you to scan Donna."

"Very well. Hold still." The scan didn't take long and Donna wished going to the doctor's was this easy. "Scan completed. Time Lord. Interesting I thought the Doctor was the last one."

"Its a long story," Donna said. "I'm sure Sarah Jane will tell you all about it."

* * *

I'm thinking of adding in an adventure for the Doctor before he sees Donna again but I don't have any ideas for it. The most recent reviews aren't showing up for some reason so I don't know if I'll be able to read it if anyone reviews.

I didn't realize how tempted I would be to just call Sarah Jane 'Sarah'. Don't drink and drive.


	8. Chapter 8

nowritten: thanks.

I love Janto: I changed that chapter a bit.

* * *

_Mom is going to kill me_, Donna thought as she stood on the stairs and checked the clock downstairs. It wasn't like she couldn't exactly like this was an easy situation to put a time limit on that type of discussion. Not unless it was a real emergency at least.

"Feel free to stop by another time," Sarah Jane said.

"I will." Donna turned her head to look at Sarah Jane. She didn't feel at all tired. Maybe it was the excitement or something about being a Time Lord. While she appreciated the Doctor understanding she needed space, he ought to have given her a basic course in Time Lord biology. "I don't suppose you know anything about contacting UNIT?"

"I do. The Doctor and I used to go there all the time."

"Well have Dr. Martha Jones give me a call," Donna said. She took a piece of paper out of her bag and handed it to Sarah Jane. "I'd love to stay in contact with you too of course."

Sarah Jane took the paper and nodded. "Will do."

Donna turned and went down the stairs. She paused and looked back. "I can't help wondering what he's getting up to with all of us gone. He always finds trouble doesn't he?"

"Whatever the Doctor is doing, it's bound to be amazing."

The Doctor had slipped off the TARDIS console.


End file.
